DIY chain chooses not to renew lease on "unprofitable" store, with outlet to close its doors later this month.

Focus chief executive Bill Grimsey explained: "The lease expired at the end of March. We tried to renew the terms with landlords but couldn't find mutually agreeable terms."

He admitted that the store in Orwell Retail Park in Ipswich is "unprofitable" but that Focus would have continued trading from the site, if a lower rent had been negotiated.

Up to 20 members of staff at the site are now in a period of consultation. Mr Grimsey said: "We have another very successful store in Ipswich, so we will try to accommodate them there but I can't predict the outcome."

Mr Grimsey added that there are no plans for further store closures.

In February, Focus transferred the leases for six of its stores over to Asda for an undisclosed sum.

Make a comment?

Your name
Subject

Inform me of responses to this comment

Your email

Enter number above (anti-spam)

DIYWeek.net does not edit comments which are submitted directly by our users to express their own views. Please report abuse of our comment system here.